Mariel
by zulka
Summary: -for wolf's lament- KxH. Yes he would do it. His victory, however, was bitter in the end.


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**Mariel  
**by: zulka

**Notes: **Well, I am dedicating this to _wolf's lament_. The latest chapter in _Those Who Dream to Hope_, triggered this response since the chapter left me anxious. I hope you don't mind me writing this at all, and if you do and would like for me to take it down, then I will.

Also if you have read the latest chapter then I think you can figure out what is going on in this story, and if not, feel free to ask me. Hope you like. Also on another note, Relena belongs to GW. I just love her so I use her a lot.

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**I.**

Kai stared at his mentor. Her words reverberated inside his head. He looked to his teammates, before looking at her again and nodding. Yes he would do it. He would sacrifice himself and all he had in order for them to win.

"After all, it's all going to right itself in the end."

They were Eternals after all and that meant that they were bound to the world in immortality until the world came to its end.

**II.**

Tyson and Kai were running. The soldiers of the enemy close behind. Their cover had been blown and their only salvation would be to reach the edge of the forest where the power of the keeper would shield them.

Before them Rei and Max were running and Kai knew then that this was the moment Delia had spoken about. This was the fate he had chosen. His life as an Eternal would end for this moment and from then on only time, fate and Relena would know what his path would be.

"Tyson! Keep going. I'll distract them."

"No way!"

"Do as I say, otherwise none of us will be returning."

Tyson watched his best friend stop, turn and run right into the soldiers.

"KAI!!"

It would be something he would never forget.

**III.**

Tyson felt horrible as he watched Hiromi crumble at the news.

Rei and Max were in the infirmary. Everyone was silent and Delia stared out the window. This wasn't the end, she knew.

Relena watched the scene unfold with something akin to pity in her eyes but not quite. As the guardian of time she had seen what was to come. Time had shown her the possible futures but they were all uncertain, a single change in any one of them could change the outcome.

**IV.**

Her yelling had brought them out. Tyson stared with wonder and awe as he watched Hiromi running to them with someone following.

"Kai!"

He was among the being that had been called the eternals, his king the dark counterpart.

Relena watched from a top the tower as Tyson spoke to Kai whose memories were vague. She had an inkling then of the future that was to come.

"It's not over?" Delia's voice carried towards her and Relena turned.

"It's just begun."

**V.**

Hiromi stared in horror at the crumbling kingdom, the destroyed city and the dead bodies. Her heart was hurt, and bleeding. His betrayal cut deep. The kingdom of Miranor had fallen. The others were fighting at the borders.

She walked in search of survivors. The villagers were hidden in one of the crumbling towers.

"Please, follow me. We need to get out of here."

There was no safe place in Miranor. Their survival lay in the lands west of the kingdom, through the forests of Belianor.

"Hiromi!"

Relena was approaching along with Rei. "We need to get them out of here! Otherwise they'll die!"

Relena nodded and at that moment she knew which future would come to pass. "Go with her Rei! Once everything is over we will come and find you."

**VI.**

Rei was not sure how long they had walked but it seemed like an eternity already. The forests of Belianor were known across the land as evil. As one who was in tune with nature he knew that was not true, but he also sensed a presence within the woods that made his hairs stand on edge. He knew the villagers felt it too.

"What business do those of fallen Miranor have here in the Golden Forests?"

He stopped abruptly and looked to Hiromi who was staring straight ahead.

In front of them, blocking their way was a wolf and a lady dressed in white.

The people became restless and Hiromi held out a hand to calm them. "We wish to pass and find shelter until the fighting stops."

"Ah, but you see, there is no free passage through Belianor. A price must be paid." It was the white lady that had spoken and Rei became nervous. They had nothing. "We don't have anything." He said.

"That's not true," Hiromi answered looking at him. "I shall give my life as price."

**VII.**

The great plan that fate had stored for him was one of betrayal to both sides. The victor would be decided by those who were fighting.

There would be no revolution however.

As he ran through the halls, his job done he came across Relena and the others. Tyson throwing a punch to his face.

"It just had to be you."

**VIII .**

The place was destroyed.

"Rebuilding," Delia told him quietly.

Kai nodded. He looked around, two people were missing.

"They went seeking shelter through Belianor."

He froze. "But passage is not free."

"I know."

Two of his teammates were missing, Rei and Hiromi. But his consolation was that they were Eternals, bound to the world until its ending. He himself had come back.

**IX.**

Relena watched the messengers return, behind them were some of the villagers, and with them Rei.

Delia greeted them. Kai looked through the faces. His heart clenched.

"Some decided to stay in Belianor," Rei answered his quiet question. He then looked to Kai, looked down and sighed. "Hiromi is not coming back. At the crossing the White Lady and Valiar the wolf, stopped us. One has to pay a price to pass through the Golden Forests. Hiromi gave her life."

"But she's an eternal! We don't die! We are bound in lives to this world!" Came Tyson's shout.

Rei nodded. "Yes, as Eternals we are bound to live in this world, by dying and being reborn into its circles. We are tied to it with limited choices. But the Lady is older and holds greater power. And she said to us that day, 'As an eternal you are bound to the circles of this world forever until its end. But as you have decided to grant your life in order for them to pass, then this shall be your last life and you will no longer be bound to the circles of the world. This will be your death, complete and utterly, there will be no return for you.'"

There was a stillness and quietness that hung heavy around them. Rei looked then to Kai only to find him walking away.

**X.**

He was standing at the edge of the forest. He turned, knowing Relena was behind him. It had been a few days since the return of Rei and since the news of Hiromi's death.

"You knew, didn't you? Did you know this was to happen the moment I accepted?"

"I saw many different futures. None were certain until the day of the attack and she said that she would go into Belianor. It was then that I knew she would never come back."

Kai remained silent. "So this is what comes at the end of this path, and this is what fate had in store for me."

Relena watched him. "It was a path of sacrifice and victory for you shall always be remembered among all the races of the world."

"At what price?!" His voice was scathing with a sharp edge. He turned away from her then and watched the trees.

"There is a new age now, because of you." Relena whispered.

Kai disagreed. "No, I have fought this with sorrow and a bitter parting that will last beyond the ending of this world."

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**-end-**

Well?

The setting for this story is actually a fantasy world I have been developing in the past months, I was originally going to write a fantasy KxH story but then thought better of it as I didn't really have a conflict but I like the idea of their world a lot. Delia, is Kai's mentor, the one at the beginning. And what she asked Kai, was if he was willing to give up what he had and follow a path that fate had made and none of them, except Relena knew what it would bring. And even Relena wasn't sure. Also the title is Mariel, which means 'star of the sea.'

Thanks for reading,

zulka


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